The first Coral Gables city budget hearing was in full swing Thursday when Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago ducked out for the unveiling of his fancy clock on Miracle Mile. Quietly. He sort of sneaked out after public comment, during the staff presentation, like he was going to the bathroom.
But he never came back.
The first city of Miami budget hearing on Saturday was dominated by a plea from the community to increase police patrols, especially in the Downtown Miami area and marine officers on the Miami River. But the discussion on the dais was dominated by the growing tension between District 2 Commissioner Damian Pardo and commissioners Miguel Gabela and Joe Carollo, who seem to have formed an alliance.
Ew.
Residents continue lawsuit to block amendment
Voters in the city of Miami voted yes down the line to three referendums on the Aug. 20 ballot. The first two questions will replace the city’s auditor general with a new office of inspector general, which has broader investigative powers. More on how that office will work later.
Miami-Dade Chief of Public Safety James Reyes, who is running for the county sheriff’s post established by voters across the state in 2018, announced on Tuesday that he had accepted an invitation to debate Miami-Dade Assistant Police Director Rosanna “Rosie” Cordero-Stutz, who won the Republican primary last month to advance to the November election.
The announcement, made by the Reyes campaign, said that the first of two televised English debates would be on WPLG Local 10 hosted by Glenna Milberg on the weekly Sunday show This Week in South Florida on Oct. 6. There have also been invitations for another English language debate, one Spanish-language debate and at least two community forums, campaign spokeswoman Claire Van Susteren said. She did not provide details on those Tuesday.
Hialeah’s Angelica Pacheco gets a spot, too
Almost three months after it happened, the investigation into the alleged aggravated assault by Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago against City Manager Amos Rojas at City Hall has been closed — and sources say, no evidence wad found that there were any real threats of violence.
According to people on both sides of the June incident — and a city official who confirmed the “case was closed” — the Florida Department of Law Enforcement ended the investigation recently and no charges will be filed. Apparently, while the mayor allegedly took off his jacket, threw it on the floor and got into a fighting stance during a June 4 meeting with the city manager, detectives could not make the case that an actual threat had taken place.
